It is no secret that many feel lost or panicked when they are without their cell phone. It could be said that some are basically addicted to their smartphone and what it does. However, certain people feel a little more stressed than others when they are without their mobile device – some even have a condition called nomophobia. According to the Los Angeles Times, the number of people who suffer from the peculiar condition continues to increase.

Nomophobia is the fear of losing or being without a person’s cell phone. This can cause people to have extreme anxiety to the point that if they think about losing their phones, their heart starts to pound, according to the news source.

A study conducted by SecurEnvoy investigated how many people suffer from the condition. After distributing an online poll, they found that 66 percent of the respondents in the UK said they were scared of losing or being without their phone, according to SecurEnvoy’s website. Additionally, more women at 70 percent were worried compared to men at 61 percent. However, more men were likely to have multiple cell phones – 47 percent and 36 percent, respectively.

When it comes to age brackets, the first group between the ages of 18 and 24 were the most nomophobic at 77 percent. The 25 to 34 age group followed at 68 percent. The third group jumped a generation, however, to those over the age of 55.

“The first study into nomophobia, conducted four years ago, revealed that 53 percent of people suffered from the condition and our study reveals this has now risen to 66 percent n the UK and shows no sign of abating,” said Andy Kemshall, SecurEnvoy CTO and co-founder. “A reversal on the 2008 findings is that, back then, it was men that were more afflicted yet today it’s women. I’d be inclined to draw the conclusion that, perhaps because more men have two phones, they’re less likely to misplace both and therefore be left phone-less.”

Kemshall also added that an additional study showed people check their phones an average of 34 times a day – so many realize quite quickly if they have misplaced it. With this increase in nomophobia, some nomophobes may install cell phone tracking software, so if they cannot find their phone, they can easily locate it.